Description
The period of the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258) has long been recognized as the formative period of Islamic civilization with its various achievements in the areas of science, literature, and culture. This history of the Abbasid Caliphate from its foundation in 750 and golden age under Harun al-Rashid to the conquest of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258 examines the Caliphate as an empire and institution, and probes its influence over Islamic culture and society. Ranging widely to survey the entire five-century history of the Abbasid dynasty, Tayeb El-Hibri examines the resilience of the Caliphate as an institution, as a focal point of religious definitions, and as a source of legitimacy to various contemporary Islamic monarchies. The study revisits ideas of 'golden age' and 'decline' with a new reading, tries to separate Abbasid history from the myths of the Arabian Nights, and shows how the legacy of the caliphs continues to resonate in the modern world in direct and indirect ways.
A history of the Abbasid Caliphate from its foundation in 750 and golden age under Harun al-Rashid to the conquest of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258.
About the Author
Tayeb El-Hibri is Professor of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is the author of Parable and Politics in Early Islamic History: The Rashidun Caliphs (2010) and Reinterpreting Islamic Historiography: Harun al-Rashid and the Narrative of the Abbasid Caliphate (1999) which won the Albert Hourani Award Honorable Mention at the Middle East Studies Association Convention in 2000. He has published articles on the Abbasids in journals including Arabica, Der Islam, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Journal of the American Oriental Society, and Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient.
Reviews
'The Abbasid Caliphate is an ambitious history of Abbasid rule that achieves its goal of narrative coherence over five centuries without losing sight of the complexity of its subject ... the book is intelligent, engaging, and often quietly humorous - the sort to appeal to researchers, general readers, and both graduate and undergraduate students ... Recommended.' R. A. Miller, CHOICE
Book Information
ISBN 9781107183247
Author Tayeb El-Hibri
Format Hardback
Page Count 360
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 700g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 157mm * 20mm
A history of the Abbasid Caliphate from its foundation in 750 and golden age under Harun al-Rashid to the conquest of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258.
About the Author
Tayeb El-Hibri is Professor of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is the author of Parable and Politics in Early Islamic History: The Rashidun Caliphs (2010) and Reinterpreting Islamic Historiography: Harun al-Rashid and the Narrative of the Abbasid Caliphate (1999) which won the Albert Hourani Award Honorable Mention at the Middle East Studies Association Convention in 2000. He has published articles on the Abbasids in journals including Arabica, Der Islam, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Journal of the American Oriental Society, and Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient.
Reviews
'The Abbasid Caliphate is an ambitious history of Abbasid rule that achieves its goal of narrative coherence over five centuries without losing sight of the complexity of its subject ... the book is intelligent, engaging, and often quietly humorous - the sort to appeal to researchers, general readers, and both graduate and undergraduate students ... Recommended.' R. A. Miller, CHOICE
Book Information
ISBN 9781107183247
Author Tayeb El-Hibri
Format Hardback
Page Count 360
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 700g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 157mm * 20mm
